MP3DB.pro - Merzbow - Merzbient (12CD) (2010)

"Merzbient" is a twelve CD collection of
Merzbow's previously unreleased ambient
recordings. The music was recorded in
the late '80s and early '90s, at a time
when Masamik Akita (Merzbow) was
becoming famous for his live
performances, which featured some of the
harshest sounds ever heard. The records
he released mirrored these peformances,
and helped establish his reputation as
the prime mover in the Japanese noise
scene. The electronics he used for his
recordings were the same ones he used
for live shows. Out of necessity he
toured with gear that was small, simple
and portable. But all the while he was
secretly recording quieter, more
atmospheric music, and using a wide
variety of acoustic instruments
including an impractical monstrosity he
describes as a ôbig handmade junk
instrument made from a metal box with
piano wiresö, which he played with a
violin bow. He made hours and hours of
recordings, but kept them private and
never released them, until they were
eventually set aside and forgotten. He
recently rediscovered the multi-track
mastertapes in a box and remastered them
for release on CD. And what a discovery
they are! These twelve discs represent a
side of Merzbow never before heard. The
music bears many of the signature styles
expected from Merzbow - think of the
theme of long-form drones pierced by
random bursts of sound, for example -
but it's enticingly different from what
we've heard before, with spacious sounds
evoking prehistoric misty landscapes,
desolate abandoned industrial sites, and
sci-fi/horror film soundtracks. If the
familiar and traditional Merzbow is like
a jet plane taking off at full-throttle
then "Merzbient" is the hanger where the
plane was built. Not a violent assault
on the ears, but something more
interior, more personal, and more
gentle. The twelve CDs in this
collection are presented in a custom-
made hard-cover box with red foil block
printing. Each disc is packed in its own
slipcase. When the slipcases are
arranged togther in a rectangle a large
image is revealed. A large and heavy (5
x 11cm, 84 gm) die-cast metal medallion
with the Kanji characters representing
ôAnimal Liberationö completes the set,
which is limited to 555 numbered copies.
ôMerzbientö is Merzbow's third release
for Soleilmoon, following "Ouroboros"
(May 2010) and "Eucalypse" (July 2008).
Masami Akita, recording under the name
Merzbow, with more than 200 albums to
his credit, is considered one of the
preeminent artists in the field of noise
music. In recent years his output has
centered on animal themes, following his
concern for the protection of animal
rights. Albums for chickens, whales,
seals and dolphins have been released on
a variety of labels. Important Records
of Newburyport, Massachusetts (USA) has
released a series of thirteen CDs, each
dedicated to a different Japanese bird.